Assessment of endothelial dysfunction in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis

ABSTRACT

Background: Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis [IPF] is defined as a specific form of chronic fibrosing interstitial pneumonia limited to the lung, with the histopathology of UIP on surgical lung biopsy. Recent epidemiological evidence indicates that patients with IPF have an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. The vascular endothelium acts to maintain vascular homeostasis through multiple mechanisms, and alteration in its function precedes the development, progression and clinical expression of atherosclerosis